EPISODE 08: Big Cat Diary Uncut – '2006: A Lioness Called Tamu'

Welcome to The Big Cat People podcast! We're Jonathan and Angela Scott, award-winning wildlife photographers, authors and conservationists. We have made our name documenting the lives of lions, leopards and cheetahs in the Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya.

Today's episode is called '2006: A Lioness Called Tamu', and it is the eighth episode in our ten part series named Big Cat Diary Uncut. Join us in this episode as we go back in time to the year 2006. If the demise of little Toto the cheetah cub had a UK audience of 7 million viewers of Big Cat Week 3 - and many more around the world - the story of a lioness called Tamu would define Big Cat Week 4. The young Marsh lioness was almost certainly one of two female cubs that accompanied Nsu Nsu when videoing Big Cat Diary in 2002. The little females had played an innocent part that year in Mama Lugga (aka Red) losing contact with her small cubs along the Bila Shaka Lugga. Those four cubs were fortunate to be adopted by White Eye and Kali who raised them in a creche of 10, proving the power of the "sisterhood" to the pride.

Now Tamu faced troubles of her own when a nomadic male moves in to the area where she has hidden four tiny cubs fathered by Notch. The iconic pride male sporting a magnificent mane tinged with black was now on his own, having lost his male companion in a fight to the death with three powerful Paradise Pride males more than a year-and-a-half earlier. The migration of wildebeests and zebras had flooded in from the Serengeti, and Notch was doing everything he could to remain close to the lionesses and sub-adults in the pride to avoid two nomadic males who had recently moved in to the area. He spent most of his time in Musiara Marsh where there was plenty of food to scavenge from kills made by other members of the pride. Meanwhile, Jonathan is reunited with Honey - Toto’s mum - who had given birth to a new litter of cubs and was spending most of her time in the Mara Triangle, ranging widely. Just before filming, Honey loses one of her cubs leaving three males and a female of around seven months old. Then, right at the start of the series, another cub is lost - the little female - killed by a lion when mother and cubs tarry too long gorging themselves on a wildebeest calf after dark. While Jonathan and Simon and the cheetah and lion crews have their hands full keeping up with all the dramas of their stories, Saba is struggling. This will be the fourth year she has followed the leopard story for four years and it is proving a tough assignment.

Once again Bella is without cubs, and we know how difficult it is when there are no cubs to drive the action. Fortunately, Bella is in oestrus and being courted by four adult males, unfortunately the action occurs deep in cover and the leopard crew are left frustrated. The beauty of Big Cat has always been the richness of the stories and while Bella does provide flashes of wonderful viewing it is Tamu and Honey who hold center stage, keeping everyone glued to their television sets. Tamu is constantly trying to avoid other members of the Marsh Pride - particularly Red and White Eye - who are quick to try and intimidate their younger relative and force her on her way whenever they spot her trying to among the dense reed-beds of the Marsh where she has hidden her cubs. Honey’s three male cubs provide plenty of excitement as they refine their hunting skills and engage in boisterous play sessions. They are destined to become known as Honey’s Boys, a powerful coalition that in time will dominate a huge territory from Musiara Marsh south to Paradise Plain and east to the Rekero area. Roll on 2008! 

This podcast series is a continuing effort to educate and inspire our audience. If you'd like to learn more about us, or to check out our latest collection of educational ebooks, please visit our website: www.bigcatpeople.com.